Bovingdon Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this welcoming and friendly school. They understand and try to live up to 'The BPA Way'. It emphasises belonging, possibilities and achievement.

Pupils are confident learners who are proud to be part of the school community. They feel happy and are safe.

Pupils are well behaved in class.

They listen well to adults and their peers. Staff have high expectations. Pupils know this and the vast majority follow the rules and routines well.

Pupils enjoy learning and work hard. As a result, pupils get the best out of all their learning opportunities.

Pupils can express their views and opinions about the wider world.

T...hey understand and learn about differences and that everyone is unique. The school promotes healthy lifestyles, so pupils understand the importance of keeping fit. Many pupils proudly represent the school in various sporting activities.

This gives them a sense of achievement and success.

Older pupils take on extra responsibilities. These develop pupils' interests.

They take their jobs seriously. For instance, Year 6 pupils help the Reception children in the playground. They are on hand to help them play and get along with one another.

The younger children look up to the older pupils, who act as positive role models.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has developed a well-planned and ambitious curriculum, which links to the school's core values. This makes the values relevant to pupils.

For each subject, the school has devised sequences of lessons that build up pupils' knowledge. These start in the early years. This means pupils' learning develops from firm foundations.

Teachers have secure subject knowledge. They explain tasks clearly to the pupils. As a result, pupils carry out learning tasks with confidence.

In core subjects, such as mathematics, teachers ensure that pupils recall and remember what they have learned in the past. They also connect this to new learning. Due to this, pupils build their knowledge securely over time and they achieve well.

In some subjects other than English and mathematics, there is less focus on making links to what pupils have learned in previous years. As a result, there are gaps in pupils' knowledge.

The school has a well developed and effective reading programme that starts in the early years.

Staff have strong subject knowledge and teach phonics in a consistent way. As a result, pupils' phonics knowledge builds securely. Teachers check pupils' phonics knowledge regularly.

Teachers make sure pupils get any additional practice they need. Pupils read books that match their understanding of phonics. This means they can practice reading and become more confident.

Older pupils who are not yet fluent readers have catch-up sessions, taught by trained staff. These help pupils to become secure and knowledgeable readers. The school promotes reading for pleasure effectively.

Pupils talk enthusiastically about the books they enjoy reading or having read to them. Pupils achieve highly at the end of key stage 2.

Most pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn the same curriculum as their peers.

Skilled staff provide support and adapt learning. As a result, pupils can access the curriculum. Some pupils with SEND have personalised timetables.

These are well planned and help pupils to build knowledge from their starting points. Overall, pupils with SEND make strong progress.

Pupils are kind and considerate to each other and others.

Pupils know the school rules and understand how important it is to behave well. This starts in the early years, where children learn school rules and routines. At more unstructured times, for instance in the corridors at lunchtime, when fewer adults are evident, pupils are not always calm and careful.

Pupils take on extra roles in school. These roles have a positive impact on the running of the school. For instance, the curriculum council makes changes that benefit the pupils, such as providing more books that interest them.

Pupils have access to a wide and interesting extra-curricular offer. Many pupils are encouraged to participate in at least one club. The school monitors this carefully.

It ensures that any barriers to attending clubs are reduced or removed. This enables all pupils to develop their confidence and learning experiences.

The trust, governors and school leaders work well together.

The trust provides strategic oversight. The governors act as a critical friend. They carry out checks, such as on safeguarding procedures, to ensure that the school fulfils its duties.

Staff generally feel supported with their well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few foundation subjects, pupils are not best supported to remember all of the knowledge that leaders intend.

There are inconsistencies in the implementation of some parts of the curriculum, where teachers are not checking whether pupils are making links to past learning. This means that pupils are not achieving as well they could in all subjects. The school must ensure that the teaching of the curriculum in a few foundation subjects matches the high standards of other subjects.